Gower 62 Community Newsletter

The ongoing parent support and engagement in the Gower Community has been amazing this year! The Community Stakeholder Team (CST) is a great example! This group is made up of over 50 parents, community members, teachers, administrators and staff. They have been meeting to help shape our district's mission, vision, and core values as part of our Strategic Planning Process. Exciting stuff! I look forward to sharing their work and collecting input from the Gower Community ahead of the Board approval process expected in March. Another example of the extraordinary parent support and engagement in Gower was made clear with well over 90% of our students participating in our 'practice eLearning Day' on November 26th. Having such a high percentage of students and our families being familiar with the eLearning process will be helpful should we face inclement weather in the coming months. I would typically knock on wood here, but am hesitant after we had three eLearning days last year:)

We do not take the level of support that we enjoy in our school district for granted. It is recognized as a huge advantage to the work we do across the district and we place the highest value on preserving and expanding it. From our weekly Teacher Team meetings to our monthly Board of Education meetings, 'Parent Engagement and Support' is an ongoing topic. If you haven't done so already, be sure to visit the Gower PTO and the Gower Foundation to connect with others and find new ways to get involved in the Gower School Community. And be sure to reach out to our Teachers, our Principals, or our District Office directly to let us know how we're doing. Living up to our district motto, 'Children at their Best!' requires ongoing feedback and a real commitment to continuous improvement. We always enjoy hearing from you! Your School. Your Voice.

On behalf of our hard-working and dedicated staff, our experienced administrative team, and our supportive Board of Education, I wish you the happiest of holidays as we head into Winter Break and ring in the New Year.

As always, if you would like to discuss any other Gower Community topic further, please reach out to me directly at vsimon@gower62.com.

With gratitude and holiday cheer,

Dr. Simon

Superintendent of Schools

Recording Secretary to the Board of Education, Kate Schillinger, 630.286.4929

Click here for the monthly Superintendent Reports and here for our meeting agendas.

Regular Board Meeting Summary: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. There was no public comment from the community.

The meeting continued with a report on the final Fiscal Year 2023-24 audit from the District's auditors, Sikich LLP. As part of this annual report, it was shared that the estimated financial profile designation from the Illinois State Board of Education would be, 'Recognition' for 2025. This is the highest designation level and serves as evidence of fiscal responsibility and stewardship. After the audit report concluded, the monthly Superintendent's Report was presented to the Board. In addition to various updates across each of the 5Essentials for school improvement, the Superintendent's Report included a separate report and update on the English Language Learning Program.

The Board reviewed a series of reports, including a report from three Board members who attended this year's Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Joint Annual Conference in Chicago in November. After the reports section of the meeting, the Board approved a number of policy revisions as part of a 4-year revision cycle, the 2024 Tax Levy was approved as presented, as well as a resolution to support Illinois Vision 2030.

The Board did enter an Executive (closed) session at 8:07 p.m. with the purpose of discussing"The employment, compensation, and performance of specific employees." 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). There was no additional action taken after the Board returned to open session and the meeting adjourned at 8:44 p.m.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting is scheduled for January 22, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gower School District Board Room, Gower West, south end of campus Door #B22. As always, you are invited to attend and share your thoughts and feedback with the Board.

The Board was presented with an updated and final draft of the 2025-26 school year calendar and a draft of the 2026-27 school year calendar. The calendar drafts can be found on the District's website here. After a period of public posting, the Board will approve the final calendar for 2025-2026 and the draft for 2026-2027 at the January 22, 2025 Board meeting. Parent and staff feedback is welcome and can be directed to the District Office and/or the Board Recording Secretary, Kate Schillinger, kschillinger@gower62.com or 630-286-4929.

Reminder that tomorrow, Friday, December 20th, is an Early Release Day!

Have a safe and wonderful Winter Break! We look forward to seeing everyone back in 2025!!!